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County champs Camross dumped out of championship as Clough-Ballacolla set to meet Rathdowney-Errill in county final
They reversed the result from last year’s semi-final clash
Reporter:
Barry McEvoy
22 Sept 2024 6:33 PM
Clough-Ballacolla battled their way to victory over 2023 champions Camross to secure their spot in the 2024 Laois Senior Hurling Championship final this afternoon in O’Moore Park.
The victory sees Willie Hyland and his team face Rathdowney-Errill in the final after their victory over Abbeyleix, it’s the first time these clubs meet in the final since Rathdowney-Errill’s replay victory in 2012.
CLOUGH-BALLACOLLA 1-20
CAMROSS 2-13
Jordan Walshe was outstanding for Clough-Ballacolla at half back as he finished with four points from play, each one of them better than the last.
Clough-Ballacolla’s backline in general were excellent as they held the Camross forwards to just 1-4 from play, and Walshe played a huge part in that.
2023 champions Camross had the better of the early stages and never trailed in the game until the 47th minute, with a goal from Darren Drennan in the first half proving the difference at half time.
They found the net again early in the second half via Zane Keenan from a free, but they couldn’t withstand the attacking pressure from Clough-Ballacolla as the game wore on.
Camross started strongly and went into a two point lead after three minutes via an Eoin Gaughan free from distanced followed by an excellent score from Keyes after a mesmerising run through the middle.
Aidan Corby got Clough-Ballacolla off the mark with a fine attempt from the sideline, before Keyes proceeded to exchange frees with Picky Maher on seven minutes.
The next 1-3 all went the way of the current champions as they attacked relentlessly and a long ball from midfield bounced in behind the Clough-Ballacolla full back line as Darren Drennan raced to take possession and hammer the net.
Keyes soon added a score from distance and Gaughan slotted his second long range free before Ciaran Collier scored his first of two first half points.
Clough-Ballacolla suddenly found themselves trailing by seven points and had an uphill battle early on, which they faced admirably by scoring the next six in succession.
Picky Maher drove a free over from midfield and made a wonderous catch as he assisted a Jordan Walshe score a moment later.
Stephen Bergin and Cillian Dunne both struck outrageously from the sideline as Clough-Ballacolla continued to cut the deficit and Willie Dunphy added to it with a brilliant sideline cut from 40 metres under the stand.
Straight from the resulting puckout Clough-Ballacolla took possession again as Dunne slotted his second of the half to put one between them
Oisin Bennett put a stop to the rot for Camross when he intercepted a Lee Cleere free and flung it between the sticks, but Maher quickly replied.
The second half ended with a pair of scores each for the sides with Ciaran Collier and Keyes on the mark in response to Maher and Walshe as it stood 1-9 to 0-11 in favour of Camross at half time.
Maher levelled the game two minutes into the second half from a free, but Clough-Ballacolla faced another setback when Zane Keenan had his ankles tapped as he bore down on goal, but he made Clough-Ballacolla pay the price by driving the free goalwards and the line of backs couldn’t keep it out.
Keenan and Maher traded scores in the aftermath before Clough-Ballacolla rallied again with four points in a row. Corby struck over from the wing and Podge Brennan soon added another just a minute after his introduction to the action.
The leveller came by way of Walshe with another monstrous effort in the 45th minute and Clough-Ballacolla would go on to take the lead a minute later when Maher clutched a high ball out of the sky and turned to split the posts.
Camross put a stop to the flow with a point from a Keyes free, but they conceded a goal of their own moments after when another long ball found its way into the possession of Picky Maher and he handed it inside to Stephen Bergin who was never going to miss from point blank range to put three between them in the 50th minute.
The scoring waned in the closing 10 minutes of the contest as both sides continuously battled for possession which led to a couple of flashpoints, but nonetheless Maher and Keenan traded a brace of frees each.
Camross were under pressure to find an equalising goal, but it would be Clough-Ballacolla that landed the final blow and it was a fourth excellent score from man of the match Jordan Walshe to secure the win late on.
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